chemo or no chemo

Many thanks to Abbydog and Selkie for sharing your experiences, and ShazLou, I’m sorry to hear that you are going through a similar situation as I am.

I apologize for being quiet over the last few weeks. With your encouragement and my family's support, I started chemotherapy in June and had my third round a few days ago. This isn't an excuse for not replying to your kind messages, but once the chemo began, I isolated myself and minimized my connections to the outside world. I became introspective, spending a lot of time figuring out what to eat and what to avoid. Despite this, I continued working, taking one week off every three weeks during treatment to ensure I was okay. Thanks gods, the side effects have been manageable.

Selkie,

 you were right; the steroids and the injection 24 hours after chemo caused more issues than the chemo itself. I took half of the prescribed steroid dose but still experienced sleep problems and back pain. Thankfully, I didn’t have any nausea, even with the reduced dose (shhh....). Weighing less than 50kg, I felt the prescribed dose was too much for me compared to someone who weighs 70kg. My sense was that half the dose would suffice. (Please don’t copy me if you don’t know well your own body. ) The injection after chemo caused some joint pains, and I wondered if a reduced dose might alleviate the pain without compromising effectiveness. Of course, this is something to research and discuss with a doctor.

One side effect I experienced was a drop in blood pressure (I generally have low blood pressure). I stayed active and jogged in the mornings until I fell on my face! ShazLou, if you exercise, take it easy for the first few days, as the chemo and the post-chemo injection affect joints and muscles. I should have listened to my body and not pushed myself. After the fall, I now limit my jogging to the third week only.

I shaved my hair during the second week of chemo, and it has been thinning gradually but most of them are still hanging there… As many people pointed out, the side effects seem cumulative, and after the third round, I felt more tired than before. Although the side effects are manageable, I feel I've had enough, today.

Thanks again to everyone, and good luck to you, ShazLou.

Warm regards. Emerald